ITEMS BY THE MAIL.

Manawatu Times, Volume II, Issue 61, 19 May 1877, Page 3

ITEMS BY THE MAIL.

The Balkan Passes are being garrisoned with Turkish troops. Five battalions and two mountain, batteries have been stationed at Zainboli, three battalions at Terneva, one battalion each at Grahova and Travna, and one battalion of infantry and a regiment of horse at Plevna. A reserve corps is being concontrated at Sofia to defend the pass (crossing the Balkan range at that point. At the present moment there are ten battalions of infantry and three field batteries at Sofia. The corps stationed at Nisch consists of twenty-one battalions of infantry, two of rifles, a regiment of cavalry, and six batteries. Only eight battalions and two batteries are to remain at Kisch. The remaining forces are. shortly to join the army of the Danube. The small force at Nisch is • intended as a protection for Sofia against a flank attack from Servia. Up to the present moment the Turkish fortresses are indifferently provisioned, but new .contracts, have been made and new provisions are expected to come m. There , is a great dearth of horses for drawing the guns. The Turkish authorities have recently raised 2480 for the army of the Danube, but part of that number Were taken by force. The army corps of Widdin has 370 waggons and 900 bul- - locks for its military train, the corps at Schurnala 300 waggons and 700 bullocks, the detachment at Silistria 100 waggons and 150 bullocks. The fortifications at Nicopolis have been repaired and strengthened, and a number of additional guns have been mounted. Further fortification works are now m progress. Captain Pirn recently called the attention of the House of Commons to our , -Naval administration, and m doing so wished to know what certain Russian ships of war wanted at San Francisco ? The gallant captain suspected they were up to no good, and that they were out for the purpose of intercepting the grain cargoes bound to our ports, and of otherwise impeding our commerce should war unhappily break out. The House, how- . ever, took little heed of his warning, and so little interest m the matter that it was counted out before y^3e captain had been on his legs five , minutes. Probably it was thought that m the event of such a contingency as that contemplated by Captain Pirn, the thirty ships, of war m and about Australian waters would give a good account of any Russian war ships that should attempt to prey upon Australian com- . merce, and that America was well able to look after Californian interests. The distribution of the British army, as laid down m the Army Estimates for 1877-78, does not differ materially from that of previous years. Our home army is to consist of 101,893 men of all ranks, a force that includes, however, a vast number of non-effectives, m the persons . of recruits, invalids, and soldiers m civic employment. The- Indian army is . put down at 62,652, two-thirds of which is quartered m Bengal and the remainder pretty equally divided between Bombay and Madras, The colonies are planed under the charge of 24,700 men, of whom our two important stations m the Mediterranean, Gibralter and Malta, . absorb between them 10,000 of all ranks. No less than five line regiments and seven batteries of artillery are to be found m each of these fortresses, together with several companies of engineers, a colonial corps, the Royal . Malta Fencibles,- affording additional -protection to that island. The Cape ' ranks next m importance, and has a little army of 3357 .British soldiers for its protection, a slight increase upon the number specified m the past year's . Estimates. Bermuda, which is con- -: sidered &n advanced post m the direction of America, has 204t men to garrison the powerful fortresses m the islands, and m Nova^-Scoti'ay the only - portion of the dominion- of Canada occu- - qoied by British troops, a force of 1829 "men is to be found. , The West Indies are taken care of by 2270 soldiers, of whom nearly half are colored troops belonging to a West Indian regiment. Another battalion of these look after the

interests of England on the West Coast of Africa. At Sierra Leone, for m stance, there are four companies of West Indians, and on the Gold Coast other two — no white troops, indeed, being quartered m those unhealthy regions". Hong Kong has a garrison of 1222, and Ceylon another of similar strength, while a line regiment and a battery of artillery are also deemed quite sufficient to maintain peace m the Straits Settlements. Mauritius is permitted half a battalion of infantry and a battery of artillery, and St. Helena must lain be content with 2<JO men. The Island of Ascension and the Falkland Inlands are garrisoned by marines, and therefore do not appear m the Army Estimates ; but Fiji, it seems, which last year had a garrison of but 50 men, is to have the number of its British defenders doubled.